A conventional information providing system comprises a center (service providing unit) for collecting information from plural information providing persons (providers) to provide information to users, and a plurality of terminals (user terminals) for accepting offer of information from the center. The center and the terminals are connected (coupled) through, e.g., telephone lines to take out, from data base of the center, information that user, i.e., the terminal side desires.
In the system of this kind, retrieval and reception of information required on the terminal side are carried out by making reference to the content indication (directory information) of information delivered from the center side to the terminal side in the state where the line is connected. Such data base system or personal communication system, etc. is suitable for information providing service for taking out information having relatively small information quantity and no limitation in the information transfer rate (speed) like text information.
However, in the case of information having vast quantity of information such as image or music, etc., there was the problem that it takes time more than the actual time because there exists limitation based on the information transmission rate (speed) of the line, so the line cost would be increased.
Moreover, if an approach is employed to utilize broadcasting (network) as the transmission media for information, the transmission rate (speed) is increased so that transmission of information is facilitated. However, there was the problem that because transmission is conducted in unidirectional fashion, in the case where an attempt is made to update information which has been sent once, it is required to send the entirety thereof for a second time. In addition, since relevancy to information which has been already sent cannot be obtained, updating of partial information was impossible in practice.
On the other hand, as means for offering (providing) vast information such as image or music, etc. to user, there is CD-ROM, etc. Large capacity recording media like CD-ROM are offered from a providing person (provider) to users by physical distribution. However, since writing with respect to the recording medium is impossible, there was the problem that, also in updating partial information, the recording medium (CD-ROM) itself must be newly exchanged.
Moreover, in recent years, so called Musical Instrument Communications in which musical instrument information consisting of image and music is transmitted from the center to the terminal every time by using ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line as a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) signal are being developed. However, there is the problem that the line connection fee would become high.
Meanwhile, also in the case of collecting, at the center, information from a plurality of information providers as described above, the information providing units of the information provider side and the center of the service provider side are connected by way of communication lines to carry out transmission of information. In such a transmission, a plurality of information providers transmit respective information to the service provider. Thus, the service provider stores these information and carries out management thereof at the center. User operates the terminal to thereby provide an access to the center to receive desired information.
Moreover, the center totalizes the number of access operations every user to transmit the number of access operations to the terminal when there is request from the user. The terminal displays, by figures, the number of access operations which has been transmitted. Thus, the user can confirm, e.g., the number of access operations and/or the fee of information.
Further, the center totalizes the number of utilization operations of user every information provided by each information provider to notify the information providing unit of the number of utilization operations of corresponding information. Thus, the information provider carries out charging (processing) with respect to the user from the number of utilization operations.
However, in the conventional information providing systems, since the center only carries out totalization processing to such an degree of the numbers of access operations every respective users and the numbers of utilization operations every respective information, e.g., the information provider can recognize the number of utilization operations of information that he has offered, but could not recognize utilization frequency with respect to total information caused to undergo management by the center. In addition, user can recognize the number of the own utilization operations, but could not recognize what information is utilized more frequently by other users. Namely, the user could not recognize hit chart of information.
On the other hand, in the case of providing information by making use of broadcasting or CD-ROM, it is impossible in a realistic sense that the information provider obtains access management information including access past record, etc. indicating access situations, e.g., the number of access operations and/or access date, etc. The management information referred to here is information obtained by processing access past record, e.g., every sex (men, women), every name, every age or every data. In addition, the information provider could not offer access situations of all users to those users.
This invention has been made in view of actual circumstances with conventional information providing systems as described above, and its object is to provide an information providing system in which information ordinarily required are preserved (stored) in such a form recorded with respect to a recording medium like CD-ROM to take only information newly required or information to be updated from the center into the terminal through wire communication line such as cable, etc., or satellite (wireless) channel (network), thereby making it possible to reduce the running cost such as line (channel) connection fee, etc. and to efficiently take out desired information at the terminal.
Another object of this invention is to provide an information providing system which can provide totalization (totalized) result corresponding to needs of the user and/or the information provider.
A further object of this invention is to provide an information providing system capable of efficiently obtaining access management information indicating access situations every information offered (provided) to users by the information provider.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an information providing system which can offer access situations of all users to a certain user in a form such that he is easy to see.